Locking device for hose-couplings.



E. H. GOLD & F. F. COGGIN.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR HOSE COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.5, 1914.

1,159,927, Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH ISO-,WASHINGTON. D'. c.

E. H. GOLD & F. F/COGGIN. LOCKING DEVICE FOR HOSE COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.5. 1914. 1,1 59,927. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

G 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. H. GOLD & F. F. COGGIN. LOCKING DEVICE FOR HOSE COUPLINGS.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915. 3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

p VEN T0163 W. B Y/ WTORNE {49.

neennr n. GOLD, or cnrcaoo, ILLINOIS, AND FRANK r. COGGIN, or MATAWAN, NEW

' JERSEY.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR HOSE-COUPLINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed August 5, 1914. Serial No. 855,192.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Eonnn'r H. GOLD and Fawn F. COGGIN, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, and Matawan, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for l lose-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a pressure operated locking mechanism, and particularly to a locking mechanism for hosecouplings of the gravity type, which is made effective by the pressure of steam in the train line. This type of coupler has become standard on many railroads because of the advantages which reside in the automatic uncoupling feature. If the trainman, in cutting out a car, neglects to open the coupling, the pull onthe hoses when the cars separate, will automatically disengage the members of the hose coupling, thereby preventing the rupturing of the hoses. As a matter of fact, with cars equipped with this type of hose coupling, the trainmen frequently do not take the trouble to manually disengage the coupler heads. They often rely entirely upon the ca acity of the coupler heads to separate automatically. This capacity for automatic uncoupling, however, sometlmes results in the coupling being opened at times when this is not intended to occur; For example, with stitt and heavy hoses, a gravity type of coupling is likely to be opened when the train rounds a sharp or reverse curve. To guard against this, couplers have been provided with locks of various sorts, which may be broadly grouped in two classes, those which operate to POSlblVGlY lock the coupler heads together and those which, while exerting a certain force against the tendency of the coupling to open accidentally, do not absolutely prevent the automatic uncoupling operation when the pull on the hoses is very strong, for example, when the cars are separated. To be a positive lock in the sense in which the term is used in connection with hose couplers, the device must be capable of resisting a force which will rupture the hoses. An impositive lock, that is, a lock of the second mentioned type, will yield before such rupturing of the hoses takes place.

The disadvantage of the lock of the firstmentioned type is that it practically nullifies the automatic unlocking feature of the coupling. The traimnen must remember to disengage the lock before the cars are separated or else the separation of the cars will rupture the hoses. The disadvantage of locks of the impositive type is their unreliability. If they yield too readily, they are of little or no value. If, on the other hand, they are too stifi, that is, stiff enough so that the hoses will be injured or torn before they yield, they become, in 'efiect, positive locks and have to be handled as such by the trainmen. Impositive locks usually make use of a spring which holds the locking bolt in its operative position, but with capacity for yielding against a pull not quite strong enough to tear the hoses. Obviously, use and the exposure of the coupler to the weather will necessarily affect the capacity of the locking bolts to yield; hence, impositive locks, even though properly constructed and adjusted in the first instance, are likely to become either too stiff or too weak after having been in service for a time.

Qur inventionprovides a coupler lock perfectly automatic in its operation, which is an impositive look when there is no pressure in the train-line and becomes, in effect, a positive look when the coupling is under steam. If there be no steam pressure in the train-pipe, which will be the case when the cars are being separately handled in making up a train or in cutting out cars from a train, the locking bolt will readily yield so as to allow the usual automatic uncoupling to take place. At the same time the lock will prevent the coupling from being opened by the swinging movements of the coupled up cars in rounding sharp or reverse curves. The hoses are not as stiff When there 1s no pressure in the train-line pressures. There fore, an impositive lock which is to be used only when the train-line is not under pres sure .does not have to be as stiff as the ordinary impositive lock intended to keep the couplers together under all conditions short of an actual separation of the cars. lVhen the train-line is under steam pressure, the lock of our invention becomes automatically a positive lock,-that is, a lock which will hold the coupler heads together as against a pull capable of rupturing the hoses.

The invention consists in novel and im- I pling of familiar type,

. Like characters parts in the several figures of thedrawings.

bodied in various mechanical constructions, is shown 1n certam preferred embod ments in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of a gravity couin which the coupler members, or heads, are equipped with locks constructed in accordance with the principles of our invention; Fig. 2 a side elevae tion of the coupling; Fig. 3 a crossesectional view, taken on line 3+3 of Fig. 1', showing the parts of the locking mechanism in the! position which they assume when the trainline is under steam; Fig. 4 a view similarto Fig. 3, but showing'the parts of the locking mechanism in the positions which they as-' sume when not under pressure. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modified form' of lockoperating on the same principle as the lock show-n in the preceding figures. Fig. 5F is a view similar tov Fig. 5 showing the locking element pushed back by the arm of; the other coupling member, and Fig. 6fis a cross sec-. tional view, on a larger scale, showingthis type of lock under steam pressure.

of reference designate like Figs. 1 and 2 show a pairof mating con-- plerheads A, A, having internally thread ed neck portions B, B, for the hose nipples (not shown) and provided with looking arms C, C, engaging the usual locking lugs D, D, respectively, formed on the sides of said heads.

Each coupler head is shown asprovided with the locking mechanism of our invens tion. As these devices are exactly alike, it will suffice to describe the lock associated with the coupler head A. The coupler head A is formed with a boss E cored to provide a pressure chamber F which is closed on the end toward the locking arm C of the mating coupler member A by a screw-plug G. The pressure chamber communicates with the main steam port H of the coupler through a port 1. Within the chamber F is a piston J formed with a cylindrical boss y and on the other side with a projection j-.

K is a locking bolt which extends through the plug G and into. the cylindrical boss 7' of the piston J. A spring L. is interposed between the piston and the locking bolt. The latter has a circumferential enlarge= ment is against which the boss 7' bears, when the. spring L is compressed by'the piston. The locking bolt is kept from disengage: ment with the boss j when the coupling isopened by the enlargement We have. also shown the boss. j provided witha cross-pin j, which passes through a slot lc' in the locking bolt. Either or both expedients may be employed. A yielding or compresfastened to the piston J by-a nut N, which sGITGWS, onto a threaded projection y' on'the piston. The end ofthe locking bolt K is preferably conical or tapered, as shown, and engages witha s milarly in ne f c con thoa m The operation of the look above described is as follows; When the train-line is not under steam the locking bolt K engages the arm C ofthe mating coupler head, but, with nly such force as ill be exert y tho springL. The, spring need not be very stiff, since, with thehoses of the coupling not subjected tov steam pressure, the forces tending-t0 accidentally open coup ings will not be great; Fig. t shows the position which the parts of thelockingmechanism will assume when there i no t m. n the train-line. If steam be admitted to the train line, it acts upon the piston J, com-' pressing spring L until the end. 0% o j bears, againstthe shoulder 70 of thelooking pin. The, look be w en th upl r h ad will now become efiect-ively a positive lockwith any ordinary trail-wins pr re. The look will res st any endency n th pa t of the coupling to separate when the train .goes aroundv a. sharp or reverse curve. As the hoses. become stiff rough n r a o pressure and increase theirpullon the coupler ead, th p s u e g n t the looking i c hanisin is. proport ona ly inoroa s th reby g ving greater capacity to. wit

of nsider ble importan e n th ore f n my of on ru ionln gs. 5 and; We fled form o .0.01; pera ing 1 .01 t general principles asthe-locli; above described. Th l k ng emen in his a is: sphe ical and projectsthrough an opening plug 7 s and the in? creased 'pu l- A soon. he steam is sh he nseof he syl ha shown a mo I: theplfessure chamber A diaphragm Roof- -ho so. r gat dv disk. ype issecu s l ymoans o r t the P Panl GME S a bl ck r adapted o bo rgainst the rho cal locking member 0. A spring S is interposed between the locking member and the diaphragm. The former seats in a curved recess on the arm T of the mating coupler member. When there is no pressure on the coupling (F i g. 5) the coupling members may be disengaged by overcoming the presure of spring S.' If the steam be turned on the block 1" bears against the locking member 0 (Fig. 6). The coupling can then be opened only by a force sufficient to overcome this pressure. With a proper design or" the parts of the lock it will constitute a positive lock with any ordinary steam pressure. While we have described our invention as applied to a hose coupling for steam trainpipcs, the invention might be employed on connection with other fluid pressure systems,

-for example, in couplings for the air trainline in railroad service. V] e have illustrated and described the invention in certain preferred embodiments, but, obviously, the mechanical embodiment of the invention might be considerably varied without departure from the principles of the invention. Therefore we do not wish to be understood as limiting the invention to the particular constructions, arrangements and devices shown except so far as the claims are specifically so limited. However, we do not claim herein broadly the utilization of iiuid pressure for locking together the elements of a hose coupling by means of a pressure-operated spring-retracted locking member as this invention generically considered, is made the subject-matter of our copending applica tion Serial No. 838,753, filed May 15, 1914 l/Ve claim:

1. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members, of locking means which operates to positively lock said members together when there is pressure in said conduit, and to provide an impositive loclr between said members in the absence of such pressure.

2.111 a coupling for a concuit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members, of a fluid pressure actuated locking element engaging said members, and yieldable means which holds the locking element in operative position 1n the absence of fluid pressure.

3. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members, of a locking element associated with one of said members and adapted to engage the other, a spring to hold said element in operative position, and a fluid pressure actuating device adapted to bear against said locking element.

4-. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination witha pair oi? mating coupler members, of a locking element associated with one of said members and adapted to engage the other, a spring to hold said locking element in operative position, and a piston subject to fluid pressure from said conduit adapted to bear against said locking element.

5. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination w'th a pair of mating coupler members, a locking ele ment associated with one 01' said members and adapted to engage the other, a fluid pressure actuating device movable independently of and adapted to bear against said locking element, and an elastic member which is put under stress when said fluid pressure operative device is actuated.

6. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members, of a locking ele ment associated with one of said members and adapted to engage the other, a spring to hold said locking element in operative position, a piston subject to fluid pressure from said conduit adapted to bear against said locking element, and an elastic member which is put under stress when said piston is moved by said fluid pressure.

7. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members, a locking element associated with one of said members and adapted to engage the other, a spring to hold said element in operative position, and a fluid pressure actuating device adapted to bear against said locking element, said locking element and the member which it engages being formed with co-engaging cam faces.

8. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members formed with ports extending therethrough and one of which is provided with a pressure chamber communicating with the port of said member, of a piston in said chamber, a locking bolt slidable in said piston and adapted to engage the other coupler member, and a spring to hold said locking bolt in operative position in the absence of fluid pressure.

9. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members formed with ports extending therethrough and one of which is provided with a. pressure chamber communicating with the port of said member, of a piston in said chamber, a locking bolt slidable in said piston and adapted to engage the other coupler member, and a spring to hold said locking bolt in operative position in the absence or fluid pressure, said bolt and the member with which it engages being formed. with co-engaging cam races.

10. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members formed with ports extending therethrough and one of which is provided with a pressure chamber communicating with the port of said member, of a piston in said chamber, a looking bolt slidable in said piston and adapted to engage the other coupler member, a spring to hold said locking bolt in operative position in the absence of fluid pressure, and an elastic member adapted to return the piston to its normal position when the fluid pressure is cut off.

11. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members formed with ports extending therethrough and one of which is provided with a pressure chamber communicating with the port of said member, or a piston in said chamber, a locking .bolt slidable in said piston and adapted to engage the other coupler member, a spring to hold said locking bolt in operative position in the absence of fluid pressure, and a corrugated compressible diaphragm connected at one end to the piston and at the other to said coupler member.-

12. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members formed with p rts extending therethrough and one of which is provided with a pressurechamber communicatingwith the port of said mem ber, of a piston in said chamber, a locking bolt slidable in said piston and adapted to engage the other coupler member, a spring to hold said locking bolt in operative position in the absence of fluid pressure, said locking bolt and the member which it engages being formed with co-engaging cam faces, and a compressible corrugated diaphragm connected at one end to thepiston and at the other to the coupler member in which said piston operates. r

13. In a coupling'for a steam conduit, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members, of locking means actuated by the presence of steam in said conduit for positively locking said members together, which provides an impositive lock between said members in the absence of steam in sai conduit. 7

141-. In a coupling for railway train pipes,

' the combination with a pair of mating cou pler members adapted to be engaged and disengaged by rotative movements with respect to each other and each formed with a head and with an arm engaging the head of the other member, of locking means associated with one of said heads and arranged to engage the arm on the other head, which said locking means operates to positively lock said members together when there is pressure in said conduit and provides an impositive lock betwen said head and arm in the absence of such pressure.

15. In a coupling for steam train pipes,

the combination with avpair of mating 0011- 7' pler members adapted to be engaged and disengaged by rotative movements with re! spect to each other and each formed with a head and with an arm engaging the headof the other member, of locking means associated Y with one of said heads and arranged to engage the arm on the other head, which said locking means is actuated by the presence of steam in the train pipe to positively lock said head and arm together and provides an impositive lock between said head and arm in the absence or" steam in said train pipe.

16. In a coupling for railway train pipes, the combination with a pair of mating cou- 8 pler members adapted to be engaged and disengaged by rotative movements with respect to each other'and comprising each a head and an arm engaging the head of theother, member, said heads being provided with ports extending therethrough and one of the same with a pressure chamber communicating with the port of said member; of a pis ton in said chamber, a locking bolt slidable in said piston and adapted to engage the arm of the other coupler member, a spring to hold said locking bolt in operative position in the absence of fluid pressurein the conduit, and an elastic member arranged so as to be compressed by the movement of said piston when subjected to fluid pressure.

17. Ina coupling for railway train pipes, the combination with a pairof mating coupler members adapted to be engaged and disengaged by rotative movements with respect to each other and comprising each a head and an arm engaging the head of the other member, said heads being provided with ports extending therethrough and one of the same with a pressure chamber communicating with the port of said member; ofa pis ton in said chamber, a lockingbolt slidable in said piston and adapted to engage the arm of the other coupler member, a spring to hold said locking bolt in operative position in the absence of fluid pressure in the conduit, and a tubular corrugated diaphragm arranged so as to be compressed by the movement of said piston when subjected to fluid pressure. 7 V

18. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members, of a locking element arranged in one of said members and engaging the other, a spring arranged to hold said locking element in operative posi' tion, a fluid pressure operated member which when subjected to pressure bears against said locking element, and an elastic member arranged so as to be compressed by said fluid pressure operated member when subject to pressure. p

19. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members formed with bular, corrugated elastic nected at one end to the wall of the pressure ports extending therethrough and one of them with a pressure chamber communicat ing with the port of said member, of a piston in said chamber, a locking element associated with said piston an arranged to engage the other coupler member, and a tudiaphragm conchamber by a fluid tight connection and at the other end to said piston.

20. In a coupling for a conduit "for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members formed with ports extending therethrough and one of them with a pressure chamber communicating with the port ct said member, a head closing the pressure chamber at one end, a piston in said chamber, a locking element associated with said piston projecting through said head into engagement with the other coupling member, and a tubular, corrugated elastic diaphragm, one edge of which is secured to said piston by a fluid tight connection and the other held between the wall or" said pressure chamber and said head.

21. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members, of a locking element normally engaging both of said members to hold them in locked relation, which is yieldable to permit the disengagement of said members, and means actuated by fluid pressure in said conduit to resist the yielding of said locking element.

22. In a coupling for railway train pipes, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members engageable and disengageable by rotative movements with respect to each other and comprising each a head and an arm adapted to engage the head of the other member, said heads being formed with ports extending therethrough and one of the same with a pressure chamber communicating with said port, a locking element in said last named head normally engaging the arm of the other coupler member which is yieldable to permit the disengagement of said members, and means in said pressure chamber actuated by the pressure therein to resist the yielding of said locking element.

23. The combination with a hose coupling comprising mating elements, of a locking member in one of said elements which engages the other element but yieldingly so as to allow said elements to be disengaged one from the other, and means actuated by the fluid passing through said coupling which resists the yielding of said locking member.

24. The combination with a hose coupling comprising mating elements, of a locking member in one of said elements which engages the other element but yieldingly so as to allow said elements to be disengaged one from the other, and a pressure actuated passing through device exposed to the fluid the yielding of said coupling which resists said locking member.

25. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members formed with ports extending therethrough and one of them with a pressure chamber communicating with the port of said member, of a piston in said chamber, a locking element associated with said piston and arranged to en gage the other coupler member, and an elastic diaphragm on which the pistonis carried which has a steam tight connection with the wall of said chamber.

26. In a coupling for a conduit for fluid under pressure, the combination with a pair of mating coupler members providing together a continuous passageway for steam, of a tubular, corrugated, flexible diaphragm arranged in one of said members so as to be subjected to fluid pressure from said passageway, and a locking member movable independently of and having a yielding relation with respect to the diaphragm which is adapted to engage the other coupler member.

27. A fluid pressure operated locking mechanism comprising a tubular, corrugated, elastic diaphragm, and a locking member yieldingly sustained thereon.

28. A fluid pressure operated mechanism comprising an element adapted to be moved by fluid pressure, and a locking member yieldingly sustained upon said element.

29. A fluid pressure operated mechanism comprising an element adapted to be moved in one direction by fluid pressure, elastic means for moving said element in the other direction, and a locking member yieldingly sustained upon said element.

30. A fluid pressure operated mechanism comprising a cylinder open to fluid prespressure, a piston in said cylinder and a locking member yieldingly sustained on said piston.

31. A fluid pressure operated mechanism comprising a cylinder open to fluid pressure, a piston in said cylinder, a locking member yieldingly sustained on said piston, and elastic means which bears on the side of said piston opposite the side against which the fluid is exerted.

32. A fluid pressure operated mechanism comprising a cylinder open to fluid pressure, a piston in said cylinder, a tubular, corrugated, elastic diaphragm attached to the wall of said cylinder and to the side of said piston opposite the side against which the fluid pressure is exerted, and a locking member yieldingly sustained upon said piston.

33. A fluid pressure operated mechanism comprising a cylinder open to fluid pressure, a piston in said cylinder, a tubular, corrugated, elastic diaphragm attached to the Wall of said cylinder and to the side of said piston opposite the side against which the fluid pressure is exerted, and a locking member sustained upon said piston.

'34. A fluid pressure operated locking mechanism comprising a locking member, a spring which tends to hold the locking mem-' ber im-positively in its operative position, and a fluid pressure actuated element which when under fluid pressure exerts an additional force against the locking member in the direction of the force exerted by said spring. 7

35. A fluid pressure operated locking mechanism comprising a lockingv member,

a spring Which tends to hold said locking member impositively in its operative position, and a fluid pressure actuated element Which When under fluid pressure bears di rectly against said holds the same in said operative position. EGBERT H. GOLD. WVitnesses to signature of Egbert H. Gold:

G. Y. SKINNER, H. M. HUTCHINGS.

FRANK F. COGGIN. Witnesses to the signature of Frank F. Coggin:

' Gno. T. (300m,

M; J. SHERIDAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

locking member and 2C It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,159,927, granted November 9, 1915, upon the application of Egbert H. Gold, of Chicago, Illinois, and Frank F Coggin, of Matawan, New Jersey, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 96, after the compound word trainline insert the Words as they are when subjected to the ordinary train-Zine; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of December, A. D., 1915.

R. F. WHITEHEAD, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL] 

